Self-feeder for thrashing machines



Jan. 2, 192? J M. KANE, SELF FEEDER FOR TnRAsmNs MACHINES.

3 SHEETSSHEET I Fl LED JULY 30. i921 Jan, 2, 11923.

' J. M. KANE; SELF FEEDER FOR THRASHING MACH! Mas. Fl LED JULY 30 1921 m mm w w M m hm w m mm a m m, w T aw Q m w H mm: w @V? m h Jam. 2, 31923.

J. M. KFWE. SELF FEEDER FOR THRASHI NG MACHINES.

3 SHEET$'SHEET 3 FILED JULY 30.

JOHN M.

KANE,

OF KANKAKEE,

ILLINOIS.

SELF-FEEDER FOR THRASHING LIAGHINES.

Application filed. July 30,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN M. KANE, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Kankakee, in the county of Kankakee and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SelfFeeders for Thrashing Machines, of which. the following is Specification.

This invention relates to improvements in thrashing or grain separating machines, and has reference more particularly to an improvement in the selffeeders of such ma chines. The main object of the invention is to provide a device applicable to self-feeders by which the grain shall be caused to travel in an even flow from the feeder to the thrashing cylinder, with the possibilit r of straw slugging or choking down the cylinder substantially entirely eliminated Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character stated which may readily be applied to known and existing types of sel'i'F-feeders, and shall be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and GifiOlGIlt and reliable in action.

In carrying out my invention, instead of employing a single bundle carrier of the full width of the carrier trough, I make this carrier in two equal or twin halves running side by side on opposite sides of the divide board and independently driven. In association with said bundle carrier, l employ a float cylinder placed directly behind the band cutter and above the inner end of the bundle carrier and in front of the thrashing cylinder, which float cylinder is made in two halves rotatably and independently mounted in bearingscapable of a vertical sliding movement, so that the float cylinders can rise or climb upon a bunch of grain that would. be large enough to interfere with the regular speed of the t-lresher cylinder; and each of said float cylinders, on its risin g movement due to a choking or slugging or the straw, is caused, through suitable mechanism, to throw out of gear the bundle carrier with which it cooperates, such bundle carrier thus remaining idle until the bunch of grain is gradually worked down to a size that will accommodate the capacity of the thrashing cylinder. By making the bundle carrier and the float cylinder two independent halves, it is possible for either side of the feeder to work on independently of the other. If one side is overloaded, the bundle carrier on this side is stopped,

1921. Serial No. 488,555.

and the overload worked down before starting again; while the other side continues in operation, thus keeping grain in the thrashing cylinder and avoiding waste of time and grain by the thresher running empty.

My invention, its novel structural features, mode of operation and advantages will be readily understood by persons skilled in the art from. the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which I have illustrated my invention applied to a well known modern type of thrashing or grain separating machine, and in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through the feeder of a thrashing machine with my improvement applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a view, p-artlyin horizontal section and partly in top plan of the same with parts omitted for the sake of clearness;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4: is a fragmentary side elevation showing the automatic mechanism for controlling the drive of the bundle carrier from,

the vertical movements of the float cylinder. Referring to the drawings, and first briefly describlng the well-known parts of the self-feeder with which the device of my invention cooperates, 5 designates the usual carrier trough and 5 the usual hinged extension thereof, in which parts the bundle carrier is mounted to travel, 6 designates an entirety the band cutter mechanism, '7 designates the rear knives mounted on a transverse shaft 8, 9 designates the thresher cylinder mounted on shaft 10, and 11 designates the retarder. Power is applied through a drive belt 12 to a pulley 13 fast on the shaft 10 of the thresher cylinder. (in said shaft 10 is a pulley i l, which, by means of a belt 15 cooperating with an idler pulley 16 drives a pulley 17 fast on the rear knife shaft 8 and a pulley 18 fast on the shaft of the band cutter. lhe above described parts are or may be all as usual in thrashing machines of this type.

Turning now to a description of those features wherein my present invention more particularly resides, the bundle carrier, in

stead of being made as a single endless belt occupying the full width of the carrier trough and its hinged extension, is made in twin halves l9, as clearly shown in Fig. 2,

each belt at its inner end being driven from.

shaft 35 that'i's journaled in bearings 36 on a shaft 20 which isjournaled in one side wall of the casing and in the divide-board 5 and carries a pulley 21 by which it is driven. Each bundle carrier '19 at its lower" end' is mounted on a roller 22. Fast on the rear knife shaft 8, on eac l'i si-de of the "feeder isa pulley which, through a belt 24: drives the pulley 21 of the bundle-carrier:

Mounted on the inner surface of each side wall directly above the lower end of the bundle-carrier is a channel guide 25, and depending from the top wall of the casing (Fig; 3) is a central double channel guide 25. the lower squared ends 26 of hangerbars 26, and journaled in said lower-ends 26 is a shaft 27 that extends through a vertical slot 28 in the side wall and carries a sprocket wheel 29 (Fig. 4). Fast on the shaft 27 is a float cylinder 30 which is mountedwith capacity for bodily rising and falling movement'limited'by the height of the slot 28. Fast on the shaft 8 is a'sprock'et wheel 31 which is drivingly-connected to the sprocket 29 by, a sprocket chain 32.

The upper ends of the hanger-bars 26 extend through the top wall of'the-casingand are pivotedto crank arms 34 secured to. a

said top wall and carries on its, outer end, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, a rearwardly extending arm 37. This arm is articulated'to a depending link 38, the lower end of which is pivotally connected at 39 to onearm 10 of a bell crank lever pivoted to the side wall at 41. The other arm 42 of said lever carries a pulleyAS thatnormally, under the weight thresher cylinder'and piles up in rear of the,

latter, the float cylinder on the sideon which this choking occurs, will be forced upwardly. This, through the described con nections, raises the belt: tightener pulley 43,

and allows the drive belt 24L: to slip, thereby interrupting the travel of the bundle-carrier on that side of the feeder. The other side of the feeder during this tin'ie will usually be in normal operation, and will continue in such normal operation until the, excess straw is gradually worked down,j,permitting the float cylinder to again descendand thereby throw back into gear its cooperating bnndle- From thee-foregoing it will be seen that the device of my invention .;provides Q asimple remedy for vthe slugging and choking "'ofthe straw that sometimes occurs in thrashing machines andthat usually occurs on one side In these guides are sli'dably mounted or the other of the feeder causin 'an arrest of the feed on that side until the normal conditions have been reestablished, and

lo'wing the entire separator to run empty until the choked condition of the feeder has been remedied.

Manifestly, the details of structure and arrangement as herein shown and described may be considerably varied by thoseskilled in thevart without-involving any departure from theprinciple of the-invention or sacriicing any of the advantages thereof. Hence, I reserve all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit and purviewof the appended claims.

I claim:

' 1. In a feeder mechanism forthrash'ing machines, the combination. of a carrier trough, a pair of'bundle carriers independently mountedside by side in said carrier trough, a drive shaft, independent power transmissions. between said driveshaft and said bundle carriers, respectively, a thrashmgcyllnder, and means actuated'by an overload ofstraw upon either bundle carrier for rendering idle the said bundle carrier.

'2. In a feeder mechanism forthrashing machines, the combination of a carrier trough, a pair of bundle carriers independently mounted side by sidein said carrier trough, a drive shaft, independent power transmissions 'betweenrsaid drive shaft and power transmission of saidbundle carriers, respectively, a thrashing cylinder, a pair of'float cylinders rotata'hly mounted above theinner ends of-said bundle-- carriers respectively, said float cylinders being movable bodily away from the bundle carriers with which they respectively cooperate, and means actuated by each of said float cylinders when bodily moved for rendering idle the power transmission of its co-operatin bundle carrier.

3. In a coder mechanism for thrashing able bodily in a vertical direction, and means actuated: by each of said float cylinders on its rising movement for rendering idle the power transmission of its coeoperating bundle carrier.

4. a feeder mechanism for thrashing machines, the combination of a carrier trough, a pair of endless bundle carriers-inauser eile iendently mounted side by side in said carrier trough, a drive shaft, independent belt and pulley driving mechanisms from said drive shaft to said bundle carriers respectively, independent belt tightening pulleys co-operating with the bundle carrier drive belts respectively, a. thrashing cylinder, and means actuated by an overload of straw between either bundle carrier and the thrashing cylinder operating to retract the belt tightening pulley of said bundle carrier and thereby check the travel of the latter.

In a feeder mechanism for thrashing machines, the combination of a carrier trough, a pair of endless bundle carriers independently mounted side by side in said carrier trough, a drive shaft, independent belt and pulley driving mechanisms from said drive shaft to said bundle carriers respectively, independent belt tightening pulleys co-operating with the bundle carrier drive belts respective y, a thrashing cylinder, a pair of float cylinders journaled side by side above the inner ends 01 said bundle carriers and movable bodily in a vertical direction, and means actuated by each of said cylinders on its rising movement operating to retract the belt tightening pulley or its (re-operating bundle carrier from the drive belt of the latter.

In a feeder mechanism for thrashing machines, the combination of a carrier (Fla trough, a pair oi endless bundle carriers independently mounted side by side in said carrier trough, a drive shaft, independent be] t and. pulley driving mechanisms from said drive shaft to said bundle carriers respectively, independent belt tightening pulleys co-operating with the bundle carrier drive belts respectixely, a thrashing cylinder, a pair of float cylinders journaled side by side above the inner ends of said bundle carriers and movable bodily in a vertical direction and lever and link connections between said lioat cylinders and said belt tightening pulleys through which each float cylinder on its rising movement operates to retract the belt tightening pulley of its co-operating bundle carrier from the drive belt of the latter.

7. In a feeder mechanism for thrashing machines, the combination of a bundle carrier, a driving mechanism therefor, a thrashing cylinder, a float cylinder disposed above the inner end of said bundle carrier, a shaft on which said float cylinder is mounted, vertical guides located opposite the ends of said cylinder respectively, hanger bars slidably engaged with said guides and supporting said shaft, and means actuated by said hanger bars on the rising movement of said float cylinder, serving to render idle the driving mechanism of said bundle carrier.

JOHN M. KANE. 

